This invention relates to a squeegee having a retractable blade.
The conventional squeegee is a device consisting of a handle having a blade of rubber or leather set transversely at one end for spreading, pushing or wiping liquids off or across a surface. The conventional squeegee is widely used for cleaning windows, mirrors, window-like doors and the like. Usually, the items which are cleaned with a squeegee are manufactured from transparent or translucent glass or plastic materials. The conventional squeegee is widely available in a variety of blade and handle lengths which are suitable for particular cleaning operations.
The conventional squeegee is satisfactory for most window, mirror and window-like door cleaning operations. But, the conventional squeegee, with its elongated, fixed handle, is a lanky, unattractive device which requires substantial space for storage between periods of use. For many light cleaning operations, such as bathroom mirrors, shower doors and automobile windows, a squeegee having a more compact configuration and a more attractive appearance than is inherent with a conventional squeegee is desirable. A squeegee having a more compact configuration could be stored in a medicine cabinet or a vanity drawer of a bathroom or in a glove compartment of an automobile between periods of use. And, a squeegee having both a more compact configuration and a more attractive appearance would be suitable for use as a bathroom accessory which is stored on an open shelf or a vanity top or suspended from a suitable location on the wall on in the shower between periods of use.
Either a handleless squeegee or a squeegee having a foldable handle would be more compact than a squeegee having a conventional fixed handle. Furthermore, either a handleless squeegee or a squeegee having a foldable handle are likely to be more attractive than a squeegee having a conventional fixed handle. And, if either a handleless squeegee or a squeegee having a foldable handle are provided with a retractable blade, the resulting squeegee will be still more compact and attractive than a conventional squeegee. Finally, if either a handleless squeegee or a squeegee having a foldable handle are provided with a retractable blade which is concealed from view in its retracted position, the resulting squeegee is likely to be as compact and attractive as is reasonably possible for such a device. The prior art does not provide a squeegee having the above described characteristics.